The former employers of a Philadelphia Eagles fan are speaking out against some of the backlash the company received over the man’s incident with a pair of Green Bay Packers fans over the weekend.
Lawrence Hibbert and Dr. Randal Pinkett, co-founders of DEI-focused BCT Partners in New Jersey, spoke to TMZ Sports and defended their company over the negative social media posts and reviews left online in the wake of the incident.
“Some of the posts, some of the comments that have been made about our company are just as vile, if not more so, than the comments made about (Ryan Caldwell). That’s the point, right?” Pinkett said. “That’s the problem with the culture we’ve created and find ourselves in: there’s no room for grace. There’s no room, there’s only two extremes: either you’re fine or you’re cancelled.
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Philadelphia Eagles fans cheer during a game against the Green Bay Packers in an NFC Wild Card game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on January 12, 2025. (Images by Eric Hartline-Imagn)
“We believe that there is a middle ground where we can recover from mistakes, we can learn and we can grow. We believe that Mr. Caldwell can learn and grow, but we believe that our society can also learn and grow. That we can criticize behavior, we can “condemn the behavior without condemning the individual.”
Hibbert lamented the past few days, as the company is in the process of celebrating a major milestone.
“This has been a really difficult time over the last 24 to 48 hours,” Hibbert said, adding that the company is celebrating its 25th anniversary. “…And when you get posts on social media and in the national media questioning your integrity and how you work, it hurts. But we also believe that we can stand on our record and we wanted to take these opportunities to affirm that even in difficult times Let’s go to operate according to our value system, doing what we believe is right.
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The fan was identified as Ryan Caldwell and the company announced it had parted ways with him on Tuesday. Pinkett said they knew it was Caldwell from the video.
Philadelphia Eagles fans react against the Green Bay Packers in an NFC wild card game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on January 12, 2025. (Images by Bill Streicher-Imagn)
“I can’t say enough about how abhorrent the behavior we observed was and how upset I was to see someone who at the time was associated with our company exhibiting that type of behavior,” he said.
Caldwell was seen berating a Packers fan while her fiancé recorded the incident. He called her a “dumb c—” and “c—” repeatedly.
Caldwell issued a statement to Pak Gazette Digital on Wednesday.
“While attending an NFL game last Sunday to support my beloved Philadelphia Eagles, an incident occurred that I deeply regret,” he said. “What started as a joke with two Packers fans sitting near me turned into something more serious and I said things that were unacceptable. In the heat of the moment, I chose unforgiving words to address one of the fans.
“Ms. Ally Keller. I want to sincerely apologize to Ms. Keller for those words, and to my wife, my family and my friends, my former employer and my colleagues, the Packer fans, the Eagles fans, the Philadelphia Eagles, the city of Philadelphia. And everyone who was offended. That being said, there are two sides to every story.
Detailed view of a Philadelphia Eagles helmet against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
“The video circulating on the Internet does not reflect the full context of what happened and my actions were not without provocation. I will live through this experience and I am certainly paying a personal price. For those who do not know me, this incident does not reflect my values nor the respect I have for others and is not indicative of the person I am.
